More Metropolis In Miniature…

More rescued treasures from Richard Lester’s Superman II –

covered extensively in the vintage Making of Superman II special (available on DVD and Blu-Ray), the Metropolis Street set and corresponding miniature were a necessary (and expensive!) evil built at Pinewood Studios to accommodate the colossal battle between the Man Of Steel and his adversaries. Though somewhat of a dying art in special effects today, no amount of CGI could replicate the stunning detail on show in the images above nor the craftsmanship that executed it.

My sincere thanks to Steve Cambden for providing these photographs from his archive. If you want to read more about Steve’s time at Pinewood during the making of Superman II plus his adventures in Doctor Who I recommend his amazing memoir ‘The Doctor’s Affect’

 

An Open Letter To Hot Toys…

Dear Hot Toys –

May I first congratulate you on an incredible prototype Superman figure – As I’m sure you are aware anticipation for this was incredibly high and consequently the subject matter has a very dedicated and devoted fanbase- many have waited over thirty years for this figure – 

In recognition of the fact you are noted for listening to your fans when most toy companies do not I implore you to acknowledge the efforts shown here produced by two very talented artists & SuperFans with a wealth of experience in consulting and producing costumes, art and sculpture based on Christopher Reeve’s unparalleled portrayal.

You’ll find the amendments detailed in the images above to be slight and easily achievable but in doing so making the transition from acceptable to impeccable. These collages were created as a proposed guide and not intended as instructions – please disregard the notes about using provided art.

Look no further than the contents of this blog to see further examples of the work of Chris King in Costume and Sebastian Columbo in Photoshop to further compliment what are already great works.

And make no mistake, these offerings are not intended to highlight any shortcomings or indeed as an attempt at critique, they are merely the goodwill of artists that are seeking the best result for the perfect figure. This is what you are famous for as a company and have demonstrated time and again with your licenses, and on that basis we submit these humble adjustments in the hope you will agree they will only enhance what is already a fitting tribute to the original Man Of Steel.

With best Regards –
SUPERMANIA & Friends…

 

“He’s Two Foot One, Y’Know That…?!”

Yet another hot-off-the-press SUPERMANIA exclusive – while the images above at first glance would arguably pass as an authentic, full size Christopher Reeve costume, what you are seeing in fact is the development and fitting stages of an outfit for a premiere ONE THIRD scale statue. (click on pics for larger images).

Standing at an incredible 25 inches when finished, (note the the fingers in the 3rd pic down for scale) this latest of sculptures by US SuperArtist Bob Causey is a variation of his 1:1 project and will be produced in a very limited run.

Among the lucky recipients of these will be SuperFan Chris King, who has served as consultant for many Superman model projects (including mine) and has commissioned this costume to be constructed in miniature using exactly the same techniques as the full-size counterpart. (including the S/shield painstakingly drafted by Sebastian Columbo and sewn into, not onto the tunic!) Stay tuned for more updates as this impressive project develops…

 

“Thousands Of Hours To Create…”

Another SUPERMANIA exclusive – This gargantuan rendering of Honest Abe is a piece of the long-thought lost or destroyed prop of Mount Rushmore from Richard Lester’s Superman II.

Miraculously salvaged from Pinewood Studios upon completion of filming, the face still exhibits the pre-cut chunks for the shattering to occur when The Phantom Zone Villains give it the heat-vision treatment for replacement with their own portraits.

Now preserved in a private collection, these rare photographs are proof the miniature survived not only its onscreen demise but the wrath of the studio skip and maintain its rightful place in film history.  My sincere thanks to Author and SuperFan Steve Cambden for granting permission to scan these pics from his archive…